Mid-Week Motivation: It's ALL About Your Habits

Today I'm going to share with you a little secret that most top trainers already know when it comes to getting their clients in shape quickly and effectively.  It's an easy question we ask our clients to find out where they are at in regards to their nutrition.

Ready?

"So, how are you doing on your nutrition?"

Sounds like an easy question doesn't?  But the answer will tell top notch trainers volumes about what's really going on with your nutrition -- whether or not you're sticking to it or having more off days than on.

When the client begins their answer with, "Well yesterday . . .", and then proceeds to verbally list the food and drink they consumed that's a big red flag. Or if they say something like, "Well this morning I had . . . .", and again, proceed to verbally list what they've eaten, that's a dead give away that the client is not following their nutrition and needs some help to improve.

Why you ask?

Because changing your body doesn't happen with "yesterday's" food intake.  Body transformation like any serious endeavor takes daily commitment to see changes.  It takes a minimum of 4-6 days for your body to begin to change if you're following it at 80%. 

Now, before you start making all sorts of noise, consider this. 

If someone were to ask you, "How is your savings account going?", you wouldn't answer, "Well, yesterday . .". 

Why?

Because we all know it takes more than yesterday or today to make a significant change in your finances.  Chances are you would answer something like, "Well, this month I've been able to save X". Finances like body transformation is a process.

Still don't believe me?  Consider this example. When you go to the dentist and they ask you have you been flossing, the same rule applies.  Answering what you did yesterday or today is a red flag that the behavior is not yet a habit and needs some improvement.  Probably better than saying what you did yesterday or today, would be to say, "Not as much as I should".

We are all working to be better.  The first order of business to improving is to first be honest with where you are at presently.

If you haven't created a food journal (think map), then you really have no idea what you're eating.  If you're like most of us, you eat when you're hungry and don't always pay attention to what you're consuming.  You just want that hungry feeling to go away.

Which of course brings us to the meat of today's discussion -- It's ALL About Your Habits.

Once you've gotten clear on where you are at, and written down where you want to be, you'll now have an idea of what you need to do to get there.  And a little hint here, it will be about creating more productive habits for yourself.  It doesn't matter if it's body transformation, increasing your savings account, or taking better care of your teeth.  It's all about creating habits that will help you automatically get from point A to point B.

Here's a little reminder to help get you started.

It's ALL About Your Habits

It's time to Get on Track and Stay on Track!

10 Best Tips for Transformation

Happy New Year!

Hope you had a great new year's celebration.  I trust you had a chance to say goodbye to some old habits, those annoying unproductive relationships, and other unnecessary distractions. Now it's time to start off on the right track.  Time to get clear on your goals for the year, develop a plan, with short and long term goals, and consistently stick with it each day. 

Quite simply, let's get to it.

I don't know if you've been the type of person that hates to write things down or create plans.  I know I was.  I just figured I would keep a tally in my head and that would be sufficient. 

Boy was I wrong. 

First off, no matter how smart you think you are, or how well you plan, there are always things that occur that you didn't plan for.  And if you try to keep all the lists, goals, and daily routines in your head, you'll go bonkers. Or worse yet, start to lose track of the goal, the important deadlines, and daily tasks that need to be completed to get you to your goal.

Remember, if it's important, it's worth writing down and keeping track of it.

Nothing is worse then to come out of one those periods where you've been putting out a crisis fire, you sit back to catch your breath for a moment, and suddenly realize that you are completely off track and behind.  It's not only irritating, but frustrating.  Let's be honest, nothing ever runs as smoothly as we plan on paper, with or without goals, lists and deadlines.  But I assure you, nothing is more frustrating than not having a plan.  It's your guiding compass to keep you on track and to assist you in getting back on track after dealing with distracting or critical issues.

So if you're going to start off right this year, let's start by creating a list each day of the things that need to be completed.  Of course these daily lists serve the purpose of keeping you accountable to a goal you've chosen as important. A goal, that when you achieve it, will remind you you're still alive and kicking.  A goal that will make your life more fulfilling to you.

So to help you create your plan for a new you, here's a list below of the 10 of the Easiest Tricks to help you Lose 20lbs or more in 6 month or less.  Courtesy of Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink -- outstanding book!


Easy Tricks

1.)  Include a Fruit and Vegetable with you lunch and dinner.

2.)  Don't eat white foods at dinner

3.)  Use the half-plate rule (fill half your plate with salad or veggies).

4.)  Have a sweet or salty afternoon snack only if you first eat a piece of fresh fruit.

5.)  Drink one glass of water before every meal or snack.

6).  Use the Restaurant Rule of Two:  Limit yourself to two items other than your entree.

7.)  Never eat in front of the TV.

8.)  Eat a piece of fruit on the way to work every day (as part of complete breakfast).

9.)  Save desserts for the weekends.

10).  Freeze half of what you make, and serve the other half.

These 10 Easy Tricks should provide you with an excellent base to get you started on a new you.  It provides you with guidelines that, when followed, put you in control, and keep you on target to achieve your goal (which is why you set the goal in the first place).

This year is going to be different.  This is the year you make your goals happen, whether they are physical, financial or otherwise; get it done.  No more winging it.